Absolutely which is why we hear top instructors advising us to practice with a purpose. I didn't say practice was beating ball after ball. When I practice it entails a wide variety of exercises on and off the range and course. I can honestly say the biggest improvement to my short game came from spending time off the course by ingraining different swing lengths based on distance control. Much of it done in front of a mirror or video camera without a ball. I think there is much to be learned on the course just that without putting the time in you have no idea if you've used your imagination and executed the shot or simply got lucky. I don't rely on imagination when I play, I fall back on what I've learned and make decisions from there. The experience gained practicing is to take the guesswork out of it.

FWIW I practice everything on the range. Some days I spend the entire time in the bunker hitting a hybrid out of it and other days I chip to the nearest target using only 6i-8i before moving on to something else. Some days I stay home and hit balls into a chipping net in my basement varying the distance in two foot increments through 3 large buckets of balls. On bad weather days I use my nets and putting green to play imaginary rounds of golf choosing clubs based on what I would usually hit at my home course. I base the number of strokes I take per hole based on whether or not the video shows I made good contact. IMO imagination is exactly what successful practice requires.

i bought a hybrid, 4i, 5i, 6i, and 7i for a reason. if i play the tips i get to practice them a bit more often. that's just more fun to me than driver + 9i every hole.

i finish a round of 18 in about 2 hours 10 minutes riding if no one is in front of me. my girlfriend and i played a complete 18 hole round on sunday and finished in 2 hours and 50 minutes. like i said in my first post, pace of play is no issue with me.

I play from the whites and I use my hybrid and my long irons quite often. To me the most fun I can have is with scoring clubs. The short game around the green is fun for me. I understand you just want to have fun but you keep using the word "practice" which seems quite silly for someone to practice with certain clubs if that same person does not care about their score...

I learned to chip and play bunker shots pretty well BECAUSE I was a 20 and higher. It's where you end up when you ARE a 20. I didn't aim there so I can practice my short game. I improved the the parts of my game to AVOID those shots. But having the ability to make those shots doesn't mean I want to go back to that. I prefer the middle of the fairway, middle to short iron to the green and a 2 putt (or less). I understood that; in order to get better, I had to learn to make those shots. At least one of my friends hasn't grasped that and will always be that 25 hdcp because he expects to hit every shot perfect and never takes the time to practice those shots. So, he chunks, dips and clanks them all over the place and gets madder every time he does. Because he thinks he's good enough to not HAVE those shots in the first place. He isn't.. and with that thinking, he never will be.

I learned to chip and play bunker shots pretty well BECAUSE I was a 20 and higher. It's where you end up when you ARE a 20. I didn't aim there so I can practice my short game. I improved the the parts of my game to AVOID those shots. But having the ability to make those shots doesn't mean I want to go back to that. I prefer the middle of the fairway, middle to short iron to the green and a 2 putt (or less). I understood that; in order to get better, I had to learn to make those shots. At least one of my friends hasn't grasped that and will always be that 25 hdcp because he expects to hit every shot perfect and never takes the time to practice those shots. So, he chunks, dips and clanks them all over the place and gets madder every time he does. Because he thinks he's good enough to not HAVE those shots in the first place. He isn't.. and with that thinking, he never will be.

Yes some types of shots can not be "practiced" but you still should get a reputation of swing efficiency. Try different lies from chipping in onto a practice green. Make a game out of it and consistently do it... your game will improve.

Of course, that depends on the practice area that's available to you. Most chipping greens are surrounded by fairly ordinary, decently groomed turf. Not a lot of opportunity to play from deep rough, or from under trees, or other trouble shots. That's where imagination comes in. And that's assuming that you even have a chipping or short game area to practice in - lot's of courses don't.

I can't say that I like hitting the shots that get me in trouble, but I love playing those trouble shots to get me out of a jam. I tend to be better at that than just about anyone I know, so I love the reactions I get when I play a good shot form a seemingly impossible situation. I'm sort of a disciple of Chi Chi Rodriguez, and he was a master of the creative trouble shot.

Of course, that depends on the practice area that's available to you. Most chipping greens are surrounded by fairly ordinary, decently groomed turf. Not a lot of opportunity to play from deep rough, or from under trees, or other trouble shots. That's where imagination comes in. And that's assuming that you even have a chipping or short game area to practice in - lot's of courses don't.

I can't say that I like hitting the shots that get me in trouble, but I love playing those trouble shots to get me out of a jam. I tend to be better at that than just about anyone I know, so I love the reactions I get when I play a good shot form a seemingly impossible situation. I'm sort of a disciple of Chi Chi Rodriguez, and he was a master of the creative trouble shot.

True. I guess I am fortunate to have such practice greens. We will always have to hit shots that we don't like so its always best to try and be creative when it comes to that.

Sure, but not as many as you did when you were a 20 or higher... and if you DO have them, you aren't all worked up about it. It isn't "oh, whoa is me, I stink at these so I'll just clank it someplace closer to the green". You've had them before and you decide on your option and make the best shot you can make under the circumstances. This year, I played almost 4 rounds and never wound up in a bunker- anywhere on the course. Believe me, it wasn't ALL skill, a few lucky bounces and roll through's. But the first one I DID land in, I didn't forget how to get out. I hadn't forgotten the skills from 35+ years of playing. There will almost ALWAYS be a shot that I've had to make before or very similar and executed enough so that I can do it again..for the most part.

I was being facetious. Point being everyone faces those shots from time to time, even the pros. It's not due to the distance of the course but from mishits, wind, bad bounces, whatever. The 20 capper isn't going to eliminate those instances being 15-30y closer to the green by playing up one set of tees. But they will find themselves in better scoring positions when they do make good contact. My post was just a coy attempt to demonstrate if the goal is to experience a variety of shots on the course playing from tees in line with your skill isn't going to change that and that with improved scores comes development. In my experience the quality of golf I play is directly related to how I score not by how many clubs I can pull during the round and like you I believe it to be a product of growing confidence.

I'm not a range guy either. I hate hitting balls on the range. I do enjoy practicing my short game to a certain extent. I also have spent many mornings in the past playing a local par 3 (holes from 80 yards to 200 yards, bunkers and water hazards and rough) course to work on irons and greenside play. Otherwise I have always just played, and learned from doing it.

Unlike Tuffluck though, I played from the middle tees for most of my life. In my Men's club, only the first flight plays from the back tees in competitions. I played competition for 22 years from the middle tee, so I play my casual golf from the same place where I play in tournaments. Anything else would be counterproductive. I have no interest in carrying an artificially inflated handicap.

Here is some food for thought. You play from the same tees every time. If you play the same course most of the time then you are really only playing one type of course. If you want something a little different try playing from the forward tees a few times. The course may play very different for you and you may not in fact shoot lower scores because you might just be bringing in different obstacles than what you faced from your normal tees. The same can be said from one set further back as well. When I moved down a set it changed the whole experience of playing my home course. My handicap did not lower much simply because the rating and slope is easier at the senior tees. My scores are lower and the fact I can now reach all par 4's in two strokes most of the time is nice as well but my handicap has only gone down a half stroke.

I agree with GolfingDad. I'm not a great player, but do have enough distance and pace to play from the tips. I don't want to move forward to have to use 3 wood or hybrid off most tees. My short game does need alot of work and costs me plenty of strokes, so teeing it forward won't boost my scores a ton. If your pace of play is good and you want the challenge, who cares.

I have to agree with this. Im no scratch golfer and I don't even think I'm really a long ball hitter. Id say I hit it further than most but probably 260 region but I feel like when I score bad its not distance thats my problem. I can prove it with scorecards showing how many times I 3 putt. Either I am gonna have a good day and hit fairways or not. Like Rfordeagle said I dont want to be clubbing down to 3 wood to hit more fairways. On plenty of holes I will club down to 3 iron if there is trouble but I only do that when I have to. Obviously dog legs are different but when I think about your average straight away 420~ or so par 4 theres no reason for me not to play it at that distance. I played whites last week with a group because thats all they were playing and frankly I think I shot worse than usual. Didnt get my first par til hole 8. I think its either gonna be one of those days or not.

One of the problems with people playing the tips that shouldn't be there in the first place is they might think they are not holding up the course, but they are actually if compared to if they had played the white tees. Its driving distance. I see people hitting it 200 yards playing the tips, they can't reach in regulation, fine... whatever, but the problem is, the group behind them gets to the white tees and has to wait for the tips guy to hit his second shot. If he had hit it 200 from the whites, he might be out of range for the group behind him. If there is 50 yards between the tips and the whites, that 200 yard tips drive is only 150 yards past the whites, now everyone has to wait.

I play with alot of seniors and they play the white tees and I play the tips. They hit it 150-200 yards, I hit it 280 or so. They hit first so lands just behind the group in front of us, I wait until last because by then the group in front is out of the way. If I played the whites along with them, I'd be slowing them down.... same as if I was one of those guys who has to hit first because I won the hole

One of the problems with people playing the tips that shouldn't be there in the first place is they might think they are not holding up the course, but they are actually if compared to if they had played the white tees. Its driving distance. I see people hitting it 200 yards playing the tips, they can't reach in regulation, fine... whatever, but the problem is, the group behind them gets to the white tees and has to wait for the tips guy to hit his second shot. If he had hit it 200 from the whites, he might be out of range for the group behind him. If there is 50 yards between the tips and the whites, that 200 yard tips drive is only 150 yards past the whites, now everyone has to wait.

I play with alot of seniors and they play the white tees and I play the tips. They hit it 150-200 yards, I hit it 280 or so. They hit first so lands just behind the group in front of us, I wait until last because by then the group in front is out of the way. If I played the whites along with them, I'd be slowing them down.... same as if I was one of those guys who has to hit first because I won the hole

What's the difference ... you're going to be waiting on that group to clear the green while you are waiting to hit your appoaches anyway. So what if you had to wait an extra couple of minutes on the tee? It's less wait in the fairway.

I'm not a range guy either. I hate hitting balls on the range. I do enjoy practicing my short game to a certain extent. I also have spent many mornings in the past playing a local par 3 (holes from 80 yards to 200 yards, bunkers and water hazards and rough) course to work on irons and greenside play. Otherwise I have always just played, and learned from doing it.

Unlike Tuffluck though, I played from the middle tees for most of my life. In my Men's club, only the first flight plays from the back tees in competitions. I played competition for 22 years from the middle tee, so I play my casual golf from the same place where I play in tournaments. Anything else would be counterproductive. I have no interest in carrying an artificially inflated handicap.

Here is some food for thought. You play from the same tees every time. If you play the same course most of the time then you are really only playing one type of course. If you want something a little different try playing from the forward tees a few times. The course may play very different for you and you may not in fact shoot lower scores because you might just be bringing in different obstacles than what you faced from your normal tees. The same can be said from one set further back as well. When I moved down a set it changed the whole experience of playing my home course. My handicap did not lower much simply because the rating and slope is easier at the senior tees. My scores are lower and the fact I can now reach all par 4's in two strokes most of the time is nice as well but my handicap has only gone down a half stroke.

While I have a "home" course, I also have always played on a lot of other courses too. There are 4 good courses within 20 minutes of where we lived in Denver, and several more within 1/2 hour, so I have always had lots of choices. I also played a several of the Colorado mountain courses during the summer, so I got plenty of variety. I also played my home course from the back tees occasionally when the group I joined was playing there, but I quit doing that a few year ago. With only 3 sets of tees, that only left the forward tees, and I played them once in the 30 odd years that I played the course. At a mile high and only 5700 yards, that just wasn't fun for me. The one time I played them was in a limited club competition where we could only select 4 clubs.

I have played courses that the back tees are only 6100 yards, The longest I think I played was Robert Trent Jones at Cornell and that's around 6800 yards. The course I play regularly is a 9-hole course with two sets of tees... So basically I can't tee it forward there. But there are no driveable par fours... The shortest is 330.... And there is a maple like 200 at the corner and I'm not hitting a damn fade with o.b. Right. Here's a scary thought the 490 yd, par 5, first is the #1 handicap hole... It's open off the tee... But with all the trees from 200 yds in... It narrows to like nothing. Even laying up is a chore... The 12th is another relatively short par-five that's not reachable in two... Because even if you murder you're drive... (driver is not recommended)... You'll be in the trees... Some shorter courses are really hard so teeing it forward wouldn't matter... Look at Merion (east)... Which will play lime 6850 for the U.S. Open next year... That course is hard from even the white tees. And they are at less than 6000 yds... Think about that when you tee it forward.